my bonsai leaves are falling

[lenamilioni]

Hi

the last couple of months my bonsai leaves have started falling . At the moment it is left only with almost none leaves. Even the ones that are still on the tree are dry and ready to fall. New leaves that are occasionally growing on the tree they immediately wilt. I used to have the tree next to an open window during the winter but since the leaves started falling I moved it in a warmer corner in the house. In addition, I stopped watering the tree very often and now I only water it once a week. However, nothing seemed to have changed. I don't know what else to do to help it recover, so I was wondering whether I need to do something that I haven't thought of, such as pruning the roots, repoting it, etc?

I have attached pictures of the bonsai to have a look at it as I don't know what type of bonsai it is.

Could you please offer me any suggestions?


Thank you very much,

Lena

[tomc]

Lena if you want to keep bonsai, your going to have to work on being proactive instead of reactive.

If you poke your finger into the soil in the pot is the dirt wet? or Dry?

How many hours per day of sun does your tree get?

[rainbowgardener]

It is hard to tell what kind of tree you have, with so few leaves, and what kind of tree makes a big difference in what kind of care it needs. I'm going to go way out on a limb ( so to speak) and hazard a guess that it is a ficus. That would be good news if true, because ficus handles being indoors better than a lot of other trees used for bonsai.

Ficus is sensitive and readily drops its leaves like that. The good news part of that is that it therefore pretty readily grows new ones. It looks like it has buds on it, so probably isn't dead and will regrow.

You didn't tell us where you are, what kind of climate. Since you mentioned open windows in the winter, I will assume it is pretty warm. Even though it can handle being indoors, your ficus will benefit from some summer vacation outdoors once it is warm enough (say above 50 deg F / 10 deg C). Bringing it out from indoors, you will need to put it in a very protected space at first, away from direct sun.

Tom is right, that you need to learn what your tree needs, how to water when it is dry and not when it isn't. And ask for help a bit sooner, before it is nearly dead!

I wouldn't try root pruning until the tree is recovered and you know what you are doing and why. But it probably does need re-potting. As near as I can tell from the pics, your tree is in something like ordinary potting soil, peat heavy and moisture holding. You need to get some actual bonsai soil, which is very gritty/ inorganic/ free draining.

If this one doesn't make it and you decide to try again, only buy bonsai trees from reputable bonsai dealers and never buy a bonsai tree without knowing what kind of tree it is and what kind of care it needs. Anything else is just asking for grief.

[lenamilioni]

Thanks to both of you for your reply! I am living in Wiimbledon, London, SW19.
Since I first got the tree I was keeping it indoors. I am not sure yet whether its condition is due to overwatering- as my boyfriend was watering it every day - or it is due to keeping it next to a window I always keep partly open. Indeed it does have buds but nothing seems to grow the last 3 months.
I was wondering if there is any place I can take it near where I live where they could be able to help me, such as a nursery, etc.

[rainbowgardener]

Well, watering every day would be really bad for it, especially in a heavy organic soil.

Don't know about the window, that would depend on how cold it got. But if it is a ficus, generally they like consistent conditions and don't like cold drafts.